Francisco Cerundolo vs Andrey Rublev Prediction & Picks - ATP Australian Open

Prediction published on 1/22/26, 10:23 PM  by Tyler Doty | Modified on 1/23/26 at 4:10 AM in ATP Australian Open Picks

As in the previous season, Francisco Cerundolo has made a strong start to 2026 and continues to perform well on fast surfaces. The Argentine has not lost a single set in the first two rounds, putting in accomplished performances to avoid any unnecessary effort. After defeating China's Zhizhen Zhang in three sets (6-3, 7-6, 6-3), the world number 21 then took on Bosnia's Damir Dzumhur, again without conceding a single set (6-3, 6-2, 6-1). Solid from the baseline, Francisco Cerundolo has always performed well outdoors and has shown this once again since the start of the Australian Open. On Friday, the South American will face a real test to reach the round of 16 in Melbourne.

A three-time quarterfinalist in Australia, Andrey Rublev has regularly shone in Oceania in recent years. Looking to bounce back after a very inconsistent 2025 season, the Russian has made a strong start to the tournament with two solid performances to reach the third round. He first defeated Italy's Matteo Arnaldi (6-4, 6-2, 6-3) before beating Portugal's Jaime Faria in four sets (6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5) in a well-controlled match against a formidable opponent. Against an opponent who has caused him a lot of problems in recent years, Andrey Rublev will have to rise to the challenge of his opponent's baseline play in what is already shaping up to be an epic duel.